News and Stories

Brussel Sprouts

• The Brussels sprout market has reached second-level triggers for all Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) items
• Ready-Set-Serve (RSS) Brussels Sprouts and RSS Brussels Sprout Halves are limited
• Yields remain low

Central Valley Heat

Grapes

• Markon First Crop (MFC) Lunch Bunch Grapes and Markon Essentials (ESS) Red Seedless Grapes are available
• High temperatures and humidity causing quality issues
• Supplies are expected to remain adequate through September

Melons

• MFC Cantaloupe and Honeydew will be sporadic over the next two weeks
• High humidity levels are causing quality issues
• Sugar levels will be slightly lower than normal

Oranges

• MFC and ESS Valencia Oranges are sporadic; packer label supplies are being substituted as needed
• Persistently high temperatures are causing quality issues
• Small sizes are extremely limited; demand exceeds supply

Cucumber and Squash

• Prices are starting to climb on both coasts due to rainy conditions
• The Michigan season will wind down over the next few weeks
• Production in the South East will ramp up in two weeks; remnants from Hurricane Harvey will bring increased rainfall to these areas

Hurricane Irma

• Category 5 hurricane is forecast to reach southern Florida by early Sunday morning; growing regions may be impacted
• Commodities including bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes will be affected
• Offshore shipments entering through Port Miami will be disrupted or re-routed north
• Shippers will begin to shut down this Friday through early next week as staff in Florida prepares for the hurricane conditions

Idaho Potatoes

• MFC Idaho Norkotah Potatoes are available. New crop Norkotah potato harvesting is underway; supplies are increasing daily.
• Markon recommends ordering for quick turns in order to avoid being caught with high-priced inventory in member DCs
• Fresh-run new crop Burbank production will begin in late September/early October
• Prices are falling

Limes

• MFC Limes are available from Mexico (loading in McAllen, Texas)
• Hurricane Katia is expected to make landfall on eastern coast of Mexico by Friday
• Lime prices will continue to climb over the next 7-10 days
• Excessive moisture will cause quality issues

Onions

• MFC Onions are available in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington; The California and New Mexico seasons have ended
• The new crop is dominated by medium and jumbo sizes; colossal and super colossal onions are limited
• Smaller sizes may persist throughout the Northwest season
• Onions grown in the Northwest are rounder and have more of a globe-like shape than fresh-run stocks

Tomatoes

• Tomato prices will rise over the next two weeks due to challenging growing conditions in California and Mexico, combined with concern over Hurricane Irma’s impact in Florida
• Excessive temperatures in California over the past week have limited production
• Rainfall and overcast skies have slowed harvests, and decreased crossings into the US
• Hurricane Irma is forecast to reach Florida by early Sunday

Salinas Valley Heat

• MFC Premium Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine are limited; MBA will be substituted as needed
• MFC Broccoli is limited; Markon Best Available (MBA) will be substituted as needed
• ESS Cauliflower is limited; Packer label will be substituted as needed
• Temperatures reached the mid-90s and inland areas peaked in the mid-100s; Expect heat-related quality issues   

Strawberries

• MFC Strawberries are not available; MBA and packer label are being substituted as needed
• Industry-wide quality issues are a major concern
• Markets are steady; Expect prices to rise as the Salinas/Watsonville season winds down
• High humidity and high temperatures have caused severe quality and shelf-life concerns for product loading this week. Markon recommends ordering for quick turns and maintaining 34 degrees throughout the cold chain.

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

©2017 Markon Cooperative, Inc. All rights reserved.